“There is a common assumption that the world’s water supply is virtually inexhaustible. This assumption is false(…) Worldwide, the consumption of water is doubling every 20 years – more than twice the rate of increase in population, placing enormous pressure on aquatic ecosystems. By the year 2025, as much as two –thirds of the world’s population will be living under conditions of severe water shortage.” (Barlow 1). Are you one of the millions of people who believe our water supply is unlimited? Perhaps you are, probably because you know that 70% of our world is water. What you probably don’t know is that only 2.5% of that water is actually freshwater and of that amount only 1% is available to us (more than half of all freshwater is locked in glaciers) (Cooper 3). Still that might not be enough to spark your interest regarding our water supply. I understand; I felt the same way before I became informed on the issue. You probably think that it’s best to leave worrying about water to environmentalists, scientists and politicians – they’ll take care of the problem. After all, with all the science and technology available to us today, and so many people concerned by the issue, it’ll probably be taken care of before it reaches the point where it might actually affect you.
Scientists and engineers are indeed searching for the best solution to our water shortage. They have provided two basic concepts that could prevent the water shortage from destroying our world: water production and water conservancy. Water production involves extremely costly solutions such as desalinating sea water, distillation, and even breaking off huge chunks of polar ice, towing them into thirsty rivers and letting them melt into our limited freshwater supply. Water conservancy, on the other hand, provides a less expensive and ultimately more efficient solution. And as the author of the article Running Dry observes, “scientists and engineers can do some amazing things but one thing they can’t do is increase the amount of water available to us on our planet. As a result many analysts agree that the world must use the water it has more efficiently” (Running 27). Furthermore, many experts contend that conservation offers greater promise than any new technology for ensuring adequate supplies of water (Cooper 7). Learning to use our water more efficiently is the most effective solution for everyone. Water conservancy is more than just an environmental-friendly proposal; it is a crucial, life-saving necessity. If we do not begin to manage our water supply more resourcefully we will be facing catastrophic consequences.
These catastrophic consequences not only include land subsidences around the world (the sinking of land due to falling water tables as a result of over-pumping of our underground water supplies) (Running 24) but also death due to lack of access to clean water; according to Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians – Canada’s largest public advocacy group – and director of the International Forum on Globalization, “more than 5 million people, most of them children, die each year from diseases caused by polluted drinking water” (Barlow 2). Some experts even predict that the water crisis could straightforwardly lead to war. In fact, spokesmen for two leading international organizations have clearly suggested this already. As Ismael Serageldin, the World’s Bank environmental vice-president predicts, “the wars of the next century will be over water” – not oil or politics (qtd in Vidal 1). Similarly, the United Nations’ former Secretary General, professor Boutros-Boutros Ghali, suggests, “the next war in the Middle East will be fought over water, not politics” (qtd in Moore 1). Indeed this is a terrifying scenario, yet, unfortunately, it is entirely plausible. For it is an established reality that every single being on this earth needs some form of water to survive, and when life is at stake anything is possible. Therefore the concept of war is not farfetched, and these forecasts serve as an obvious indication that we need to become involved with the issue in order to avoid worldwide disaster.
There are various ways to prevent catastrophe through water conservancy; the question is which of these methods can we employ as single individuals, and will it really make a difference? Indeed it will; Americans use 1,300 gallons of water per person per day (Barlow 2). Given our non-conservative lifestyles, I would assume that this figure is significantly higher than our actual water requirement for a healthy standard of living. Therefore, there are indeed several things we can each do without drastically changing our lifestyles, that would help conserve our freshwater supply. For, it might seem like a cliché, but every drop counts; and although one might think their efforts would not make a difference, combined with those of others they do indeed. In order to avert the situation, changes must be made in every sector of our society; beginning by our own individual lifestyles, our families, our community and ultimately our governments. For, given the worrisome prospect of our threateningly dry future, it is imperative that we act now; we must become actively involved in the water conservancy program in order to protect our most valuable resource – one without which we could not survive.
Yet, although the world agrees that we can not survive without water and that water conservancy is highly effective, some optimists remain undisturbed by the water shortage issue because they have heard analysts’ proposals to increase the amount of freshwater available to us. Indeed increasing the amount of water is possible, but the fact that this increase could provide water to a substantial part of our population is entirely unlikely. Water ‘production’ consists mainly of three options, desalination (the removal of salt from sea water), reverse osmosis, and distillation (the purification of polluted water) (Villers 285).Although these methods are currently in effect in some areas of the world and of our country, they require a lot of money and provide small amounts of freshwater. An illustration of this is given by Philip Bass, author of H2O: A Biography of Water, who observes, “less than 0.2% of the world’s water supply currently comes from desalination. That’s mostly because it costs up to $2.50 a cubic meter to produce” (qtd. in Running 25). Hopefully, in time, the process will become more affordable and we will be able to rely on it to increase our water supply, but for the time being we can not consider water production a feasible option.
The water shortage is a direct consequence of our rapidly growing population; according to the United Nations the world population will be reaching 8 billion by the year 2025 out of which two-thirds will be experiencing water shortages (Cooper 4).As has been said by John Vidal, columnist for the World Press Review, “as demands for water soar, supplies may decline faster than ever. Everywhere the result will be communities less able to feed themselves, political tension, and an escalation towards conflict. It’s no longer an economic struggle but a fight for survival” (Vidal 2). It is indeed. Water is, undeniably, our most indispensable resource, without it we can not survive. If we want to survive as a race, it is imperative that we protect our water supply. To stand by and watch as our world runs out of water is slow suicide – we must take action.
Even though the prospect of solving the water crisis seems daunting, there are, as I’ve mentioned, numerous actions we can take to ensure our water supply. Although farming and industry pose the highest demand on our freshwater sources (70 and 22 % respectively) (Global 1), the area that registers the largest waste level is, by far, the domestic one. In the year 2000, 87.5 % of the water taken from the world’s freshwater supply for domestic use was wasted (Global 1). Therefore, there is a lot of saving to be done in this area. As experts are coming to realize, compared to technological solutions (such as the construction of dams and treatment plants), water conservation is a surer, less-expensive path towards ensuring our freshwater supply (Cooper 7). After all, we can not increase our water supply, all we can do is change the way we use it. Communities and individuals need to learn to mange their water resources more efficiently in order to maintain a substantial water reserve for the future. There are numerous measures that can lead us towards a more sensible water management; the question is what can we do as individuals to help save our water supply?
The first step towards a more efficient water management is to become educated on the subject, become informed. We must be aware of the elements that affect our water supply, of the various effects that derive from a freshwater crisis, and of the possible solutions – the measures we can take to divert the situation. In order to achieve this knowledge, we should take a tour of an informative water website such as H2OUSE: Water Saver Home ( www.h2ouse.net). This website provides a complete explanation of our water use and supply, from environmental benefits and current research studies to an estimated description of household water use and numerous water saving tips. Another way of acquiring information is by attending public meetings conducted by local governments or water management districts and voicing questions and concerns on the issue (Fifty 3).
For it is important that our governments realize that we no longer wish to ignore the water shortage issue, that our expectations on their involvement and concern have been raised. Politicians are not giving this issue the significance it deserves. Are they not concerned about the water crisis or are they just too scared to face the issue? How can such a major threat be so hugely ignored? Why isn’t the media giving the problem the extensive coverage it deserves? Surely it deserves more attention than gay marriages and Kobe Briant. So why is the water shortage being so adamantly overlooked? Because the natural response to these disturbing forecasts is a general sense of fear, and massive fear inevitably leads to chaos – and governments, quite simply, don’t want to deal with that. So politicians are getting away with not addressing the subject because the public is not properly informed, and we all know that uneducated people are more manageable; they are more easily satisfied and more obviously diverted. Besides, politicians know they probably won’t be around to assume responsibility; they most likely won’t be in office twenty years from now, when our mouths really start to get dry and our crops withered. But it is our responsibility as citizens to alter the situation; we must force our governments into action. For according to Maude Barlow, “most governments have few laws or regulations to protect their water system. They leave their water resources unprotected by legislation” (Barlow 2). To say the least, this is totally irrational behavior; the freshwater shortage should be a priority in every politician’s agenda.
In order to achieve greater government involvement, not only must we become concerned with the issue as individuals but also we must encourage our friends and neighbors to become part of a water conscious community, promoting water conservation in community newsletters, bulletin boards, etc. We must promote a new way of life. We must write articles for our Sunday newspapers, put up signs in our office boards, post letters in our school papers. We should encourage our school systems to develop a water conservation ethic among young students, even inviting water specialists to come into schools and provide information on ways to help protect our freshwater supply. In our offices, we should encourage our employers to promote water conservation in the workplace; suggesting that water conservation be put in employee orientation and training programs. At an even wider scale, we must get involved with our local industries. We should look into their water use and persuade them to manage their water supply more cautious and efficiently.
Our local governments must be forced into action; there are many issues that need their immediate attention such as urban water systems, agricultural, industrial and commercial waste, and the subsidizing of high-yielding crop varieties which demand more water. Furthermore, as Maude Barlow concludes in her article, We Are Running Out of Water, “funding for research is abysmally inadequate, and political commitment and conservation awareness are sadly lacking all over the world” adding that “what is missing is political will”(Barlow 2). or as Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project, states in her World Watch ,Water Tight, article, “ as urban water systems deteriorate because of age and lack of maintenance, a lot of water can be lost through broken pipes and faults in the distribution network” (Postel 8). Apparently John Vidal, columnist for the World Press Review agrees, stating that, “most city supply systems leak 30-50 percent of their water underground”. Local governments must invest in updating our water supply systems, to prevent this harmful waste.
Equally important is the governments need to revise agricultural, industrial and commercial waste. According to Vidal, “a co-ordinated effort by national governments could change the pattern of waste within a decade. It has been estimated that with available technologies, agriculture could cut it’s waste by some 50 %, industries by up to 90 % and cities by one third, with no reduction in economic output or quality of life” (Vidal 2). In addition, Peter H. Gleik, president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security, concedes, “industries and commercial buildings could save 40% of the water they use just by adopting existing technologies” (qtd. in Hooper 7). Evidently the resources and technologies for water conservancy are already available, what is lacking is the will to enforce them. Our local governments must take responsibility and encourage these businesses to start using these water-conserving measures.
Thirdly, our governments must revise the subsidization of certain crop varieties and irrigation. According to Vidal, governments and industries are vigorously supporting high-yielding crop varieties that more efficiently feed our population but that also demand distinctly larger amounts of water (Vidal 2). At the same time, they are offering water subsidies for irrigation. In Peter Gleick’s view, “the government could encourage conservation simply by eliminating water subsidies for irrigation that were introduced in the early 20th century to encourage settlement of the West” (qtd in Cooper 7). Considering our rapidly growing population and the obvious need to feed it, in addition to the fact that agriculture employs 70% of our freshwater supply (Global 1), it is evidently clear that our government must conduct an extensive study of the issue in order to provide a more efficient crop selection that, in turn, requires less amount of water.
As we encourage our governments to take action, we should simultaneously persuade our farmer friends and family to switch to more water-efficient irrigation systems such as drip irrigation. The most common crop irrigation methods wasted up to 30 % of water in the year 2000 (Global 1). And, according to Vidal, “in a flooded or spray-irrigated field, at least half the water never reaches plant roots, but seeps underground or evaporates”. Unfortunately, farmers are not the only ones who waste water on irrigation, most people over-water their gardens using wasteful routines such as, badly aimed sprinklers that water pavements and driveways, and bad timing for watering – the best time to water a lawn is in the early morning or after sunset when less water is lost to evaporation (Fifty 1). Lawns only need watering every 5 to 7 days in the summer and every 10 to 14 days in the winter (Fifty 1). Naturally, lawn maintenance is not the only domestic area that needs adjusting. There are countless suggestions for saving water in our homes. The H2OUSE: Water Saver Home website offers numerous tips for domestic water reduction.
But meaningful conservation programs will require overturning longstanding practices; as previously mentioned, Americans use 1,300 gallons of water per person per day (Barlow 2). It will take our combined effort and dedication to reduce this alarmingly high figure, but it is imperative that we do so in order to avoid the prospect of such a threateningly dry future. Conservation and efficiency are the surest way to ensure ourselves of a secure future and they must be immediately put into practice. In other words, as Peter Gleick explains, “the most effective solution to water problems in the United States is water conservation and efficiency. It’s the cheapest, fastest and cleanest way of meeting our needs for water” (qtd in Cooper 7). We can no longer stand on the sidelines and expect others to solve the problem, for our world is indeed running out of water; and all the science and technology in the world can not single-handedly revert the drastic situation. And as Maude Barlow simply concedes, “time, like water, is running out” (Barlow 3).
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